The Ultimate Gifts for Van Life
Despite the fact that vanlife is a minimalist lifestyle, a lot of the items we use can be spendy. If you’re building a van or traveling in one, something that you want for Christmas is probably on this list. These products are not exclusive to people living on the road. But they are made for everyone who is traveling, adventuring, and enjoying themselves outdoors.
We do our best to recommend items that we personally own or would purchase ourselves. Also, we hope that our suggestions give you some great ideas for the people on your shopping list this holiday season! Good luck finding the ultimate gifts for van life!
Gifts Under $250
Finding an epic camp site for a few days is what it’s all about. The Sunset Chair from Helinox is super comfortable and compact, which makes it a perfect camp accessory.
This is one of our Top 10 Vanlife Accessories and is available on Amazon.
Taking a break in nature means you have more time to relax and enjoy it. A Travel Guitar like this one on Amazon is perfect for traveling. Also, it is smaller than a regular guitar, but still sounds good enough for songs around the campfire, making it one of the best gifts for van life.
Similar to a Travel Guitar, a Ukulele is a great instrument for travelers and is fun to learn to play. There are a lot of great kits available on Amazon here that come with all of the accessories you need to get started.
Cooking on the fire is great, but when you want the cook the ultimate camp meal, you need a camping stove. And this Camp Chef Camping Stove is sturdy, reliable, and should last forever.
Nothing beats taking a hot shower after a big adventure. A tank-less and portable hot water heater is the perfect way to setup your own outdoor shower wherever you go. Another item from our Top 10 Vanlife Accessories list, it’s available on Amazon here. There are also great options that can be built into your van, like this one on Amazon.
Many hours on the road means many hours to listen to audio books. An Audible Subscription is a great gift for the traveler on your shopping list. Buy it on Amazon here.
Being mobile means that you need something to charge all of your electronics. The Jackery Portable Power Station is one of our Top 10 Favorite Accessories because we can charge our phones, laptops and camera batteries without issue on the road.
Planet Fitness, 24-Hour Fitness, and Anytime Fitness are just a few nation-wide chains that are great stops for any traveler. Not only can one freshen up with a hot shower, but nomads can also get in some cross-training.
You can give the gift of Amazon Prime. An annual membership gives you tons of free perks like free two-day shipping, access to tons of free ebook, music and videos. You can start a free 30-day trial here.
If they already have Amazon Prime, you can upgrade their membership to include Amazon Music Unlimited. It gives you the ability to download music and take it anywhere. Even out in the back country where there’s no people, and no cell phone service for streaming.
This is the ultimate gift for van life.
The DJI Osmo Mobile Gimbal will help the adventurer on your holiday shopping list document their travels. They’re great for anyone who wants to use their smartphone to take better video and capture those epic moments. You can shop for it on Amazon here.
A portable speaker that’s waterproof, dustproof, and ready for anything you throw at it makes the perfect gift for the outdoorsy person in your life. Check out the Denon Envaya Portable Bluetooth Speaker on Amazon.
Gifts Under $500
Traveling where the road takes you means you might end up with poor cell reception. The weBoost Cell Phone Signal Booster will help bring your service up a few notches. Ideal for travelers who need to stay connected, even in areas with poor signal. Sold on Amazon here.
A small and portable camera like the DJI Action Camera or the GoPro Hero 7 is a great gift for every traveler. Small enough to fit in a backpack, it can be carried everywhere and it takes great video too. Check out action cameras on Amazon.
The Garmin inREACH Mini GPS is the perfect gift for someone with serious wanderlust. With features like dropping pins and texting loved ones, you can help keep your adventurer safe with this awesome little gadget. Read more about it on Amazon.
No one likes to get stuck, especially those who have places to be. Give the gift of Tred Pro Recovery Tracks this season. Also, you’ll help ensure that the off-roader on your shopping list has the equipment they need to get out of any sticky situations.
There are moments where every traveler needs to top off their tire pressure. It’s an essential accessory for every van lifer, but is expensive so most people don’t have them. Treat the van lifer on your list with a gift that gives them a sense of security and safety with the ARB High Performance Portable Air Compressor, found on Amazon.
If you want to be off the grid and sustain travel life long term, you should install a solar system. Thankfully, the 
Renogy 200W Solar Kit has all of the essential components you need to setup a solar system on an RV, Skoolie, Van, etc. Read more about it on Amazon here.
Gift Under $1000
Most vehicles come with tires that don’t make the grade off the pavement. Changing out the stock tires for a more beefy all-terrain tire will help the adventurer on your list get to those hard-to-reach off-road locations. There are several to choose from that are great quality like the BF Goodrich KO2 tires or the Falken AT3 tires. Shop around on Amazon and find the right size for any rig.
